


The Next Great Love Story

by AngelsMayDie



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 2tae-if you squint harder, M/M, One-Shot, drabble-ish, mark lee becoming stan lee, markhyuck-if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 16:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9449579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelsMayDie/pseuds/AngelsMayDie
Summary: Doyoung found love while in search for the next great love story.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Not read carefully.  
> Cross-posted in AFF.  
> Please call my attention for errors and questions.
> 
>  
> 
> Crack Summary:  
> Doyoung's OTP is markhyuck.  
> Doyoung thinks Jaehyun's OTP is Jaeyong so he ships it, too.  
> Jaehyun ships dojae on the side,  
> because his main OTP is 2Tae.

The Next Great Love Story  
  
  
  
  
Doyoung would like to think he was walking at the edge of the world in search of love story that could make the heart of the one reading wrenched in agony the way the son of Montague and and the daughter of Capulet's affair ended; or the story that could make the reader thirst to experience happiness to the point that letting that fated person go, he won't dare say 'Tomorrow's another day' like Scarlett O'Hara because another day without love is a day not worth living; or the tale that could make a person realize he is born to love and with just that power alone, he can build a Taj Mahal.  
  
Doyoung seeks to 'wordily' the feelings and make a legend.  
  
He wants to find the next great love story.  
  
So at least in words, people can fall in love.  
  
So maybe, in words, he can finally fall in love.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
He fidgets over his coin purse for spares to pay for his vice: the classic chocolatey bar of heavens. He sighs as he walks the pavement, wondering about his life, how it was decorated with a lot of achievements.  
  
At the age of 26, he was revered as the best rookie editor, even transcending what the title means to the point were Doyoung himself discovers talented sci-fi and fantasy authors. As the son of a publishing house owner, he had it easier. Getting assigned to much renowned writers, it was only natural that the works he edits would sell comparably well than his colleagues. He was sure fed of it, dropped the better half of his writers and introduced to the world (and the nerds) the next JJ Tolkien in the name of Mark Lee, a 'kid' (as he addresses him) with the most laughable awkward aura. Doyoung saw the innate artist in him, when he ordered his to-go, and a decent (in his opinion, handsome on most's) handed him soubrettes with the most eye-burning handwriting yet contains an epic battle between a leagues of the same empire from different parallel universe. He turned 'Mark Lee' to Korea's Stan Lee and that marks the beginning of projects, more novels, comic and currently - a movie adaptation. The Laser Factory. He smiles at how his talents call him because he loves the soft glows in printed leaves than the harsh beams of spotlights.  
  
"You should stick to science fiction." His boss, his own father, dead panned. His smile fall down remembering how his father reacted upon submitting a manuscript for the 12th time this month - but this time, a product of his own imagination.  
  
It was a short romance, fleshed out of his mind but he still thinks he sucks. (Even the down-to-earth and docile college and mystery editor, Ji Hansol described his romance prowess as 'juicy as cheap porn')  
  
He blames it on his heart.  
  
He never experienced the sparks.  
  
In any case, his heart that does not race nor flutter triple time.  
  
Sometimes, he wonders if he was human, or if he has a heart to begin with.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Only the lit by the street lamp, he studies his ring, finding the right one among the messy, cramped up keys to unlock his gate when he noticed something blue and glossy lying on the road. He picked it up, entered, settled comfortably on his sofa, chowed in his microwaved take-out, then began flipping the pages.  
  
At the surface were no name but a single letter: J. The grid pages and mathematical symbols made him dizzy. He wanted to throw it away and let this J person suffer for losing his notes.  
  
Just as he was about to trash it, he recognizes the words 'kisses' and 'love' in the neatest curves.  
  
He flipped from the back when all the scribbles starts and started reading.  
  
He didn't sleep that night.  
  
He read it all.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Despite the lack of rest, Doyoung found himself rejuvenated. Everyone in the office seemed to notice this. Doyoung seemed to be brighter, if it was even possible. Even Mark notice something but he still look confused.  
  
His work load seemed lighter too, being that jam-packed compared to his normal days.  
  
Maybe he was in love, in love with the story.  
  
The story wasn't that clean and the diction was poor in his professional discretion but the backbone of it enthralls him to the point were he can say he's in love with the way the protagonist, 'J' (he laughs at how obvious the author is) loves 'Yong'.  
  
At first glance, the plot was haywire, as if everything is just a series of drabbles all in J's point of view. Every cuts were displayed in different setting, time period, and alternate universe only to tied up to a dream and a wake up call. It is a rough ore but Doyoung knows a diamond awaits to be uncovered.  
  
Not yet love, maybe a crush…on the story…  
  
Crazy…  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
After the publishing cycle, his relaxed days soon shined. He's retiring early so he'll do the next best thing after smelling the scent of freshly printed books: to sleep. In two blocks, he'll be there at his door steps but he took a detour because he was mugged. The guy was lean and swift, not to mention tall so his strides were wide but Doyoung was determined to outrun the offender because he stole 'the next great love story'.  
  
Doyoung was huffing but he still smirked when he realized that the thief trapped himself.  
  
"Give it back, kid." Doyoung commanded.  
  
The other guy with the craggy exterior, tall and on par with his, looked terrified. "B-but t-this is mine." He stuttered, holding the notebook near his heart.  
  
He didn't know what have gotten to him when he enclosed 'J' in a bear hug. "So you are 'J'?" He was too overjoyed that he didn't let the protesting boy break away.  
  
He found the one who wrote the next great love story.  
  
He found the one who love the 'love' he loves.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Upon knowing a thing or two about 'J', he didn't stop bugging the boy who refuses to be the next big story teller Doyoung claims he'll be.  
  
According to experience, that's how it always goes, his authors were the reluctant but Doyoung is that persistent that he'll leech you off until they had no option but to comply.  
  
Doyoung had an arsenal of tricks up his sleeves, surely he'll come around.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
But he didn't.  
  
Jung Jaehyun, a 21 year old already half way to his bachelor in engineering, had an iron resolved. He said he wrote just for fun, and it was crap and if the Men In Black magic-erase-a-memory-in-a-click stick does exists, he have already abused it on the editor.  
  
The boy lives fatefully next door so he had no reason to be lazy not to pay a visit but all he got was nothing less cold than 'Mind your own business.' and a bitch face to match.  
  
Doyoung almost had the chance to be in the world of romance, not just in the literature world but also in an emotional level.  
  
It was the nearest he felt of love and sadly, involuntary servitude and blackmail are all criminal offenses.  
  
Doyoung grasps at the last straw not until he saw Jaehyun, but this time, he wasn't serving the scowls and almost unibrow. He was smiling. He was beaming, gloriously. And with those dimples, he can't help himself but to give those fat cheeks some pinching. He was smiling down on another guy. He must be 'Yong'. He thought.  
  
Baby Jaehyun seems to fit him.  
  
From the glasses outside, he would conclude 'Yong' is not your typical eye candy. His crystal eyes were alive in every sense, his cheeks and jaws are an artisan's piece. Jaehyun had an exquisite taste. Doyoung was in awe at how Jaehyun looks at 'Yong'. Yes, there was some sort of distance, and a weird omnipotence in Jaehyun's part, but Doyoung adores everything between 'J' and 'Yong.'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Creep." Doyoung snaps out of the 'zone' when he felt someone nudge him and accusing him of  unwanted spying.  
  
It's Jaehyun without dimples. It's bitchy Jaehyun again, much to his dismay.  
  
"Ey there, kiddo. Who's that?" He pointed subtly at the guy who's left alone in one of the booths.  
  
"Taeyong?" Doyoung mentally squealed.  
  
"So he is 'Yong', right?" He asked without breaks and he could see the boy is taken aback of his boldness.  
  
"Why are so hellbent on that garbage?" Jaehyun was about to walk away again, ready to dismiss without any real progress.  
  
"Hang in there, kid. I'll help you with your 'Yong'. Just let me work with your story. Sounds good, eh?"  
  
"You'd do anything?"  
  
"Minus the things that would have in jail."  
  
  


 

 

  
  
  
"What about we change the main characters name?" Doyoung suggested as he types away necessary edits and Jaehyun works out crafting more details in his story.  
  
The bot was utterly shy. He doesn't want to be introduced even to guys at the publishing house. They never worked on it in public, just to and fro their houses.  
  
Working on the story was like a dirty little secret on the boy's part.  
  
"I mean you want your pen name 'J'. It would be distasteful for one of the characters be named 'J', too." Doyoung halts on mashing his keyboard and look at Jaehyun who contemplates about the idea.  
  
"Any names that you come at with?" Jaehyun inquired.  
  
Doyoung wickedly laughed, "I was thinking about Lee Minhyung to replace 'J'." Jaehyun nods his head, seeing nothing moderately wrong with the name.  
  
"And Lee Donghyuck for 'Yong'." The boy find no real substance as to why the editor was laughing maniacally since they were pretty standard Korean names. Unbeknownst to him, the editor have a petty grudge on Mark at the moment for not meeting his deadline so he will give his lousy writer a a delayed revenge using his Korean name and his crush's, Lee Donghyuck, a mystery prodigy to give him a heart attack.  
  
Jaehyun nodded. "I'm pretty surprised that your thinking about my debut this thoroughly."  
  
"It's not about you as an author, it's about your work. Think about the infinite people that would fall in love upon reading this."  
  
"What made you thing it will sell? You're more of a science fiction person?" The boy has a point and Doyoung run out of logical expletives to back up this.  
  
Instead, he fished the boy's pretty hand, guide it in his chest and let him feel his beating heart.  
  
"I never felt it, but I think what it is is love."  
  
  
  
  
  
The progress is very promising. His father did not even bat an eye while reading the outline of Jaehyun's story.  
  
"Was it good?" Doyoung asked with anxiety.  
  
"Almost there."  
  
"Almost in the trash bin again?" Doyoung added sardonically.  
  
"I meant almost ready to be printed." He was throwing a parade in his head. His father never praised, well, when it comes to romance at least.  
  
"You need to work on the kissing and love scenes though, it's like written by a virgin."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Good news!" Doyoung is in Jaehyun's bedroom and a plastic of Chinese take-out in tow.  
  
"This shit is over? Was it shredded before even read?" Despite not being able to see his face, Doyoung can see Jaehyun rolling his eyes, still working on something that has to do with numbers.  
  
Over the course of working together, Doyoung learned that Jaehyun is a decorated student, soaring grades, great socializing skills and the face. Maybe that's the reason he loathed this story. It proves how 'incompetent' he is in the matters of the heart.  
  
"No. The boss said it only needs a few touches before you can see it on bookstores' shelves."  
  
"No way! This is insane." There's baby Jaehyun again presenting his dimples. He joined the editor on the floor, eyeing his portion of food that Doyoung brought. Doyoung was insanely happy, too, seeing the boy heartily eats.  
  
"How's Taeyong by the way?" Doyoung asked for any record, finishing his share in record time.  
  
Jaehyun crinkled his eyes more. It's good news, too.  
  
'Can this night get any better?' Doyoung asked himself.  
  
"So you're just smiling there and refuse to spill updates?" Doyoung cut the thread on Jaehyun's daydream seeing his not talking at all.  
  
He likes it when Jaehyun talks.  
  
"Oh he's good." Doyoung sighed.  All the time he asks how's things between him and Taeyong, he smiles cutely but all he had to tell was 'Taeyong's good'. As much as he wants to hear more, he couldn't squeeze more but he that's more than fine. Seeing him smile means things are great.  
  
His smile is great.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Jaehyun is sitting uncomfortably on his sofa, his foot tapping the tiled floor without any designated beat. "Hyung." They boy started and Doyoung felt accomplished when the boy's warm enough to call him that. "I-i" he stutters rigidly.  
  
"Say it kid." Doyoung impatiently coerced the younger to spill it out. 'Did he blew things up with Taeyong? God!' He fed him all the tricks and tips he knew. He even consulted one of the romance (romcom) editor, Seo Youngho, on tips on how to get the person of your dreams. He must not fuck this out. He'll kill for  them.  
  
"I'm don't have any kissing experience." The sentence was almost audibly imperceptible. The boy expects the editor to laugh his ass out but it was the opposite. Doyoung was shooked.  
  
"This can't be! That's why the racy scenes were written by a nun." Doyoung nibbles on his lips, racking his brain for possible options.  
  
"Let's go to a training camp. The romance department is having a three-day seminar starting tomorrow."  
  
"Can't be. I'm busy, finals is just around the corner."  
  
"Watch romantic films?"  
  
"I already did! But I've got nothing!"  
  
"Find a surrogate partner?" Doyoung joked, imitating Mark's signature reaction towards anything, be as stupid as possible and laugh it all out until the god above would show him mercy. It works on Mark's case but he ain't sure he was 'pure' enough as his writer to be graced with such.  
  
The air between them turned chilling. Their eyes set on each other but Doyoung could not read what's on Jaehyun's mind.  
  
The boy then snap his eyes close and Doyoung finds it appropriate to press a kiss on Jaehyun's untouched lips. The meaningless kiss seared until the boy Jaehyun is underneath him, pliant and pretty.  
  
They woke up after the anatomy lecture of only vowels and their names.  
  
Doyoung's heart is heavy.  
  
He's guilty.  
  
  
  
  
Doyoung was grateful that their working relationship hasn't receded. It's awkward. Sometimes, it's him. Sometimes, it's Jaehyun.  
  
"The preorders were a shocker." Doyoung calmly sat beside Jaehyun. This is the first they were together in public, not in the open but the coffee shop is still a step forward.  
  
"I'm finally confessing to 'Yong'." Jaehyun said casually and news got Doyoung so happy.  
  
"When?"  
  
"At the release. Tops."  
  
They parted.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
J single-handedly (and single 'lettered-ly') broke the sales chart. Reviews, from public and acclaimed critics, were more than favorable, too. And Doyoung was more than satisfied to know that he himself takes part on the process of weaving 'The Next Great Love Story'.  
  
Doyoung's at an expensive bread store, picking up the sweetest available. He knew his tastes so well.  
  
He passed by the coffee shop that holds many things. There he witness 'J' and 'Yong', the real ones, have a conversation, to which he fell in love.  
  
They're at it, same booth, same chitchat and smiles, but Jaehyun always go out first and he doesn't know why wouldn't they go out at the same time, preferably holding hands.  
  
"Hey hyung!"  
  
"Hey, kid. Did you manage to get 'Yong' already?" He handed the boy the box of confection to which the other received gratefully.  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"You said on release. TOPS!" He emphasize the last words. "Look! There's a guy approaching. Get off him you irrelevant duck!" Doyoung screamed out of the glass like he was a director trying to cut the scene.  
  
"Don't they look like a match?" Jaehyun chuckled and bid his goodbye rather swiftly by excusing himself as 'tired'.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Doyoung can't understand it.  
  
And he can't accept any of it.  
  
He wanted to cut the unknown twerp from 'Yong' but he must console Jaehyun first. 'I'm tired' is the universal phrase that translates to - 'I'm heart broken and nobody understands me so I'll just wallow on my own tears of sorrow.'  
  
Doyoung killed Jaehyun's door bell with incessant buzzing until the boy opened it.  
  
He was thankful that Jaehyun hasn't started crying yet. "I brought beer and fried chicken." Doyoung announced. One thing he learned from Youngho is that, beer and chicken makes everything better. Sure it does not prevent the messy crying but it's better to cry full and intoxicated than to do it on an empty stomach.  
  
"Cake, then snacks? You're awfully kind today, hyung." Jaehyun looked like he just woke up.  
  
Not minding if the bed sheets would be ruined in oil stains or spilled alcohol, they feast in silence but the editor had enough, "Cry, if you want."  
  
"I'm not that soft. I won't cry over that silly book. It's a one time thing only."  
  
"Don't pretend. Among the people around you, I should be the one to know how you are hurting inside."  
  
Jaehyun snorted like he genuinely don't know what he's talking about.  
  
"About Taeyong." If he can't make Jaehyun talk from vagueness, might as well be blunt about it.  
  
"What about Taeyong?"  
  
"Didn't you see how he has the 'kissy' face with the other guy back there"  
  
"Yeah. His been dying to have a date with Taeil hyung. And I'm dying to have him out of my hair. HAHAHA." Jaehyun had that smile Doyoung likes, eyes crinkled to crescents and dimples displayed.  
  
"What about the confession? What about 'J' and 'Yong'? What about -" Doyoung's rampage halted when Jaehyun gave him his soft lips. Doyoung retracted immediately. "This is absurd. I get it. You're already late because you're so slow. But this. This is out of the line. I'm not in for rebound. I'll get hurt. You'll get hurt. Nothing good comes out of this."  
  
Jaehyun scoot closer to Doyoung and whispered, "What would you do if you're 'Yong'"  
  
"If I'm Taeyong?"  
  
"No, if you're 'Yong', the one I love."  
  
Doyoung's mind is having a hard time digesting the question. His mouth can't form words but he responded with his body. He grabbed Jaehyun by the nape and kiss him. He begs a taste but this time he didn't hesitate. He pushed the younger down until he's on his back and dives down to nibble on the milky neck, biting it sensually.  
  
"Why did you stop?" Jaehyun croaks softly not liking how they are still in clothes and Doyoung not giving it to him. The make out session was more raw than before. It was more needy for both of them. If the previous was meant to 'educate', hence, gentler and cautious, then now it feels more radical and demanding even if they hadn't shed a shirt.  
  
"If I was 'Yong' I'd do that, and more." Doyoung calmly whispered but Jaehyun can feel the man's tears wetting his face pressed in his cheeks.  
  
"Then give me more."  
  
Now that Doyoung had a chance to compare him to 'Yong', he realized how inadequate he is. "'Yong' is ethereal."  
  
"You're permanently beautiful."  
  
"'Yong' is smart."  
  
"You're wise."  
  
"'Yong' Make makes you're heart flutter."  
  
"You make my heart sing."  
  
"What are you talking about. 'Yong' is your dream guy."  
  
"Yeah, he is. He's my daydream, my nightmare and my wet dream. But there's you who's real."  
  
Despite being praised by an angel he can't still accept being a replacement. "So, you're settling for a second-rate imitation because you can't have your dreams."  
  
"This is silly."  
  
"You're silly, Kid." Doyoung still had the guts to call him that when it's clear that he's the weeping mess. "You want me to fall for because the guy in your dreams is already out of the picture."  
  
"Not that. It's just I'm realizing why would I dwell in my dreams when what's better is real. Hyung. You are the 'Yong' to my 'J'. I wrote that crap because I fell helplessly on a guy I barely see or talk to. All I knew is that he lives next door and he's freaking handsome. Can't you see? The 'Yong' in my story doesn't have any consistent personality. One minute he's kind then he's as crude as a shrew. Because I have nothing to start with. I fell in love with a stranger and all my brain could do to cope is to make up scenarios on how you and I would meet, how you'd kiss me and make love. I'm a coward but that's no more."  
  
  
  
  
  
That moment, both of them found out that the greatest love story cannot be replicated in inks and brushes. Sure, it can seem to but those were just a fragment but the feels were born at the glances, affirmed in touches, ignited in kisses and reveled in embraces.  
  
The greatest love story is your own love story.  
  
  



End file.
